Systems and methods for enhancing connectivity

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for enhancing connectivity are discussed. An illustrative aspect of the invention includes a method for enhancing connectivity. The method includes scheduling an order to be performed by a worker into a schedule, accessing the schedule by a mobile device via a server on the Internet, and substituting the schedule by a proxy to allow an application on the mobile device to interact with the proxy when the mobile device is temporarily disconnected from the schedule.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application incorporates by reference and claims the benefitof U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/193,834, filed Mar. 31, 2000;U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/193,917, filed Mar. 31, 2000; U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/193,832, filed Mar. 31, 2000; U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/193,705, filed Mar. 31, 2000; and U.S.Provisional Application No. 60/193,833, filed Mar. 31, 2000.

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The technical field relates generally to scheduling. Moreparticularly, it pertains to updating a schedule when a mobile device ofa worker has network coverage after being temporarily outside of thenetwork coverage.

COPYRIGHT NOTICE - PERMISSION

[0003] A portion of the disclosure of this patent document containsmaterials which are subject to copyright protection. The copyright ownerhas no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patentdocument or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent andTrademark Office patent files or records, but otherwise reserves allcopyright rights whatsoever. The following notice applies to thesoftware and data as described below and in the drawings attachedhereto: Copyright© 2001, MDSI Mobile Data Solutions Inc., All RightsReserved.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0004] Suppose that to schedule a desired service to be performed, acustomer calls a service organization to place an order for the desiredservice. The service organization schedules the work order. Then, aworker within the service organization performs the desired service.

[0005] The worker has a variety of equipment to help him perform hisjob. One type of equipment includes a device that allows him tocontinuously connect to the service organization so as to receive and tosend information associated with assigned orders in his shift. Toservice the assigned orders, the worker typically travels to variousdestinations throughout a geographic area. Because of incomplete networkcoverage, as the worker travels to certain locations in the geographicarea, he may become disconnected from the service organization. Such adisconnection frustrates the ability of the worker to provideinformation that may be pertinent to the service organization.

[0006] Thus, what is needed are systems and methods for enhancing theconnectivity of a worker with a service organization in a mobileenvironment.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] An illustrative aspect of the invention includes a system forenhancing connectivity over the Internet. The system includes a schedulehaving shifts of workers in which orders are assigned to be performed, amobile device accessing the schedule by an application through theInternet, and a proxy that acts for the schedule when the mobile deviceis temporarily disconnected from the Internet.

[0008] Another illustrative aspect of the invention includes a methodfor enhancing connectivity. The method includes scheduling an order tobe performed by a worker into a schedule, accessing the schedule by amobile device via a server on the Internet, and substituting theschedule by a proxy to allow an application on the mobile device tointeract with the proxy when the mobile device is temporarilydisconnected from the schedule.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system showing the relationshipbetween a scheduling system and a mobile device of a mobile servicerepresentative according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0010]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system showing the schedulingsystem in greater detail according to one aspect of the presentinvention.

[0011]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system showing the mobile device ingreater detail according to one aspect o the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] In the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments ofthe invention, reference is made to the accompanying drawings, whichform a part hereof, and in which are shown, by way of illustration,specific exemplary embodiments in which the invention may be practiced.In the drawings, like numerals describe substantially similar componentsthroughout the several views. These embodiments are described insufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice theinvention. Other embodiments may be utilized and structural, logical,electrical, and other changes may be made without departing from thespirit or scope of the present invention. The following detaileddescription is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and thescope of the present invention is defined only by the appended claims.

[0013]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a system 100 showing the relationshipbetween a scheduling system and a mobile device of a mobile servicerepresentative according to one aspect of the present invention. Thesystem 100 includes a scheduling system 102. The scheduling system 102manages the schedule of a workforce of a service organization. Theservice organization uses the scheduling system 102 to take reservationsfor orders from customers who wish to have services performed.

[0014] Typically, a customer calls the service organization to make areservation. The service organization uses the scheduling system 102 tooffer the customer a variety of appointment windows that fit the timingpreferences of the customer. The appointment windows that are offeredalso fit the availability of the workforce of the service organizationto perform the service. Once the customer selects an appointment window,the scheduling system 102 reserves the order to be performed within thetime period specified by the appointment window.

[0015] The scheduling system 102 assigns the order to a worker of theworkforce. The relationship between a worker of the workforce to theschedule is through one or more shifts. A shift is a time period thatdefines the beginning of a work period to the end of the work period. Toassign the order to a worker, the scheduling system 102 assigns theorder into the reservations that are in the shift of a worker. Theworker, who commences his workday, looks at the information in hisshift. His shift specifies the reservations in the order he is toperform them.

[0016] One way of sending and receiving the information regarding hisshift is through a mobile device 106. One type of information that theworker receives from the scheduling system 102 includes an ordersummary. The order summary includes a brief description of the job he isto undertake to perform the service for a customer. A type ofinformation that the worker sends to the scheduling system includes atimesheet. The timesheet includes the recording of the time of arrivaland departure of the worker.

[0017] The mobile device 106 can be any suitable device that allows aworker to receive information from the scheduling system 102 and to sendinformation to the scheduling system 102. One suitable example includesa laptop computer. Another suitable example includes a personal digitalassistant.

[0018] The mobile device 106 is coupled to the scheduling system 102through a network 104. The network 104 includes any wired or wirelessnetworks that allow the mobile device 106 of the worker to be connectedto the scheduling system 102.

[0019]FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a system 200 showing the schedulingsystem 102 in greater detail according to one aspect of the presentinvention. The scheduling system 102 includes a schedule database 204.The schedule database 204 is a file composed of records, each containingshifts of workers, break times of workers, and other fields togetherwith a set of operations for searching, sorting, recombining, and otherfunctions.

[0020] The scheduling system 102 includes a remote Web server 206. Theremote Web server 206 includes pieces of software that use HypertextTransfer Protocol (HTTP) to serve up Hypertext Markup Language (HTML)documents and any associated files and scripts when requested by aclient, such as a Web browser. The remote Web server 206 convertsselective information from the schedule database 204 into HTML documentsto present such information to the Web browser.

[0021] The scheduling system 102 includes a connection kernel 202. Theconnection kernel 202 helps to enhance the connection of the mobiledevice 106 to the scheduling system 102. The network 104 defines an areaof coverage. Due to interference from urban structures andelectromagnetic sources, such as buildings and radio frequency sources,the area of coverage may have holes depending on the location of themobile device 106. A mobile device 106 that is within the area ofcoverage of the network 104 may send information to the schedulingsystem 102 and receive information from the scheduling system 102. Ifthe mobile device 106 is not in the area of coverage of the network 104,the mobile device 106 may be unable to either send information to thescheduling system 102 or receive information from the scheduling system102.

[0022] The embodiments of the present invention allow a worker tocontinue to use the mobile device 106 as if the mobile device 106 wereconnected to the scheduling system 102 when the mobile device 106 is notpresent in the area of coverage of the network 104. When the mobiledevice 106 is again within the area of coverage of the network 104, theembodiments of the present invention synchronize information between thescheduling system 102 and the mobile device 106 to provide an apparentlyseamless connectivity between the mobile device 106 and the schedulingsystem 102.

[0023] One example includes a worker in his automobile traveling fromone job to the next while using his mobile device 106 to access thescheduling system 102. As he travels, various interference sourcesinhibit his ability to access the scheduling system 102. The embodimentsof the present invention allow the worker to continue to use his mobiledevice 106 as if he were still connected to the scheduling system 102.

[0024]FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a system 300 showing the mobiledevice 106 in greater detail according to one aspect of the presentinvention. The network 104 is shown as the Internet in FIG. 3 in oneembodiment. Thus, the scheduling system 102 is coupled to the mobiledevice 106 using a TCP/IP protocol.

[0025] As discussed hereinbefore, the remote Web server 206 of thescheduling system 106 serves HTML documents to the mobile device 106.The mobile device 106 includes a browser 308. The browser 308 is a pieceof software that lets a worker view HTML documents, such as ordersummaries, and access files and software related to those documents. Thebrowser 308 allows downloading and transferring files, such astimesheets, and executing small programs, such as Java applets orActiveX controls included by the scheduling system 102 in the documents.

[0026] The mobile device 106 includes an application 310. Theapplication 310 interacts with the browser 308 to access the schedulingsystem 102. The application 310 includes pieces of software that aredesigned for the mobile worker. For example, the application 310 mayinclude a piece of software that allows the worker to enter times intotimesheets.

[0027] The mobile device 106 includes a cache database 304. The cachedatabase 304 caches information received from the remote Web server 206as well as information to be sent from the application 310 to thescheduling system 102. Suppose that the worker travels to a locationthat is not covered by the network 104, the cache database 304 incombination with a proxy for the scheduling system 102 allows the workerto continue to work with the mobile device 106 as if the mobile device106 were still connected to the scheduling system 102. In oneembodiment, the cache database is a Java Database Connectivity(JDBC)-compliant database.

[0028] In one embodiment, the proxy includes a local Web server 306. Thelocal Web server 306 enables the worker to continue his interactions asif he were still connected to the scheduling system 102. The worker maycontinue to enter and to modify data on Web pages presented to thebrowser 308. The worker may also submit changes made to data in fieldson the Web pages.

[0029] Information generated by the worker through the application 310is kept in the cache database. The cache database includes apredetermined set of HTML documents that the worker is likely to accessso as to give an apparent connection to the scheduling system 102 whenthe mobile device is temporarily disconnected from the scheduling system102. When the mobile device 106 comes again within the coverage area ofthe network 104, the connection of the mobile device 106 to thescheduling system is established as if the worker has been connected tothe scheduling system 102 without any disruption in the coverage of thenetwork 104.

[0030] The mobile device 106 also includes an update component 302. Theupdate component 302 communicates with the connection kernel 202 tosynchronize the states of data between the scheduling system 102 and themobile device 106. In one embodiment, the update component 302 bypassesthe remote Web server 206 to communicate with the connection kernel 202.Such technique of bypassing enhances the connectivity of the mobiledevice 106 to the scheduling system 102 because the area of coverage ofthe network 104 is not complete.

[0031] In one embodiment, the update component 302 is implemented usinga Java Servlet. The Java Servlet stores the results of the interactionsof the worker while the mobile device 106 is disconnected from thescheduling system 102 in the cache database 304. When the mobile device106 is again connected to the scheduling system 102 via the network 104,the Java Servlet communicates with the connection kernel 202 bybypassing the remote Web server 206 to update the schedule database 204.In another embodiment, the Java Servlet communicates with the connectionkernel 202 via the remote Web server 206 to update the schedule database204.

[0032] In one embodiment, the application 310 is a Web application. TheWeb application interacts with the local Web server 306 when the mobiledevice 106 is not within the area of coverage of the network 104. Thelocal Web server 306 includes a piece of software that acts as a JavaVirtual Machine. When the mobile device 106 is connected to thescheduling system 102, the remote Web server 206 pushes a Java Servlet,such as the update component 302, to run on the local Web server 306.When the remote Web server 206 sends Web pages, these Web pages arecached by the cache database 304. The Web application sets its URL tothe local Web server 306. The local Web server 306 interfaces andcommunicates with the remote Web server 206 for new Web pages and tosynchronize data.

CONCLUSION

[0033] What has been discussed hereinbefore is a technique for enhancingthe connectivity of a worker, who may be traveling from one job site toanother, to a scheduling system. The worker may have a mobile devicethat is coupled to the scheduling system through a network. But thenetwork may have an incomplete coverage area. The situation is madeworse when the mobile device runs Web-based applications that requireconstant connection to the Internet to access the Web server running onthe Web server. The embodiments of the invention enhance theconnectivity of the worker to the scheduling system without requiringthe mobile device of the worker to have a constant connection to theInternet.

[0034] Although the specific embodiments have been illustrated anddescribed herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill inthe art that any arrangement calculated to achieve the same purpose maybe substituted for the specific embodiments shown. This application isintended to cover any adaptations or variations of the presentinvention. It is to be understood that the above description is intendedto be illustrative, and not restrictive. Combinations of the aboveembodiments and other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill inthe art upon reviewing the above description. The scope of the inventionincludes any other applications in which the above structures andfabrication methods are used. Accordingly, the scope of the inventionshould only be determined with reference to the appended claims, alongwith the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.

We claim:
 1. A system for enhancing connectivity over the Internet,comprising: a schedule having shifts of workers in which orders areassigned to be performed; a mobile device accessing the schedule by anapplication through the Internet; and a proxy that acts for the schedulewhen the mobile device is temporarily disconnected to the Internet. 2.The system of claim 1, further comprising a bypass mechanism to allowthe proxy to update the schedule without going through a web server whenthe mobile device is again connected from the Internet.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the proxy includes a server that services theapplication as if the application were connected to the schedule whenthe mobile device is temporarily disconnected from the schedule.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein when the mobile device is again connected tothe Internet, the proxy includes a servlet that communicates with theschedule to update the schedule with information generated by theapplication while the mobile device is temporarily disconnected from theInternet.
 5. The system of claim 1, wherein the proxy includes adatabase that stores information generated by the application while themobile device is temporarily disconnected from the schedule.
 6. A methodfor enhancing connectivity, comprising: scheduling an order to beperformed by a worker into a schedule; accessing the schedule by amobile device via a server on the Internet; and substituting theschedule by a proxy to allow an application on the mobile device tointeract with the proxy when the mobile device is temporarilydisconnected from the schedule.
 7. The method of claim 6, whereinsubstituting includes serving by a server residing on the mobile deviceto service the application as if the application were interacting withthe schedule when the mobile device is temporarily disconnected from theschedule.
 8. The method of claim 6, wherein when the mobile device isagain connected to the schedule, the method of claim 1 furthercomprising updating the schedule with information generated by theapplication while the mobile device is temporarily disconnected from theschedule.
 9. The method of claim 6, further comprising bypassing theserver to update the schedule via the Internet with informationgenerated by the application when the mobile device was previouslytemporarily disconnected from the Internet but is now connected to theInternet.
 10. The method of claim 6, further comprising cachinginformation that is generated by the application when the mobile deviceis temporarily disconnected from the Internet.
 11. A computer readablemedium having instructions stored thereon for causing a computer toperform a method for enhancing connectivity, comprising: scheduling anorder to be performed by a worker into a schedule; accessing theschedule by a mobile device via a server on the Internet; andsubstituting the schedule by a proxy to allow an application on themobile device to interact with the proxy when the mobile device istemporarily disconnected from the schedule.